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Then I take it you have read and understand "him" ... (L.R. Raymond's) contract and think because of it, gas prices are skyrocketing?

"Let's face facts. With the government-approved mergers of big oil companies, competition is dead. The oil companies are no different than the federal government. One raises taxes. The other raises prices."

Competition to do what? Pay the market price for a barrel of crude? Competition to build refineries that are cost prohibitive in the U.S.?

Your solution would be?

"No, but they give $400 million retirement parachutes. That's the equivalent of giving him the Atlanta Braves franchise ($424 million value) just for retiring. What other "perks" do you think we pay for?"
Then I take it you have read and understand "him" ... (L.R. Raymond's) contract and think because of it, gas prices are skyrocketing?
"Let's face facts. With the government-approved mergers of big oil companies, competition is dead. The oil companies are no different than the federal government. One raises taxes. The other raises prices."
Competition to do what? Pay the market price for a barrel of crude? Competition to build refineries that are cost prohibitive in the U.S.?

Your solution would be?

In the same breath you say that throwing $400 mil down this guy's fat throat is fine but building or upgrading a refinery is too expensive? It just doesn't seem sensible for a company to throw away its money like that.

At least a refinery will result in future company growth and profit. Hopefully Exxon won't be whining for a government bailout when oil tanks and they've pissed away their last billion.

Let's face facts. With the government-approved mergers of big oil companies, competition is dead.

Why is the United States determined to control Iran? In order to answer that question we must understand just a little about economics. In 1932, President Franklin Roosevelt decoupled the dollar from gold, but gold was still being paid to other countries as they redeemed U.S. dollars. During 1970-1971, the United States was no longer able to pay other governments with gold, and the nations of the world were stuck with continually inflating U.S. dollars. In order to maintain global demand for the U.S. dollar, the U.S. Government made a 1972-73 arrangement with Saudi Arabia to support the House of Saud if they, Saudi Arabia and all of the OPEC, the oil producing nations, would accept only U.S. dollars for payment of oil. Now all of the oil-hungry nations of the world were forced to clamor for the ever-inflating U.S. dollar since it was the only means by which they could purchase that commodity. This established the strength of the dollar as it was now backed in a defacto sense by oil.

In the year 2000, one man dared to reject the U.S. dollar for payment for oil and chose to accept the Euro instead. This threatened the dollar severely. That man was Saddam Hussein! He suddenly became the greatest villain in the world and became dreadfully evil. Here let it be noted that he was just as evil when we armed him, supported him, and embraced him years earlier. We overlooked his infamy then, but this rejection of the dollar vilified him above measure. When President Bush announced his policy of shock and awe and pounded Iraq, he quickly re-established the dollar as the only oil money. That is what the Iraqi war is all about.

Here let it be noted that Iran has announced that as of March 21st, 2006, that it will no longer accept U.S. dollars for oil, and that it has persuaded all of the OPEC nations to accept the Euro and other currencies as well. None of the nations will have to buy and hold dollars to buy oil, and this will reduce the U.S. dollar to nearly junk status on the world market. That is why it has been determined that Iran must be punished!

Iran will not use the American dollar as the purchasing currency for oil. Iran has been inducing OPEC to scrap the American dollar, which the OPEC nations required for payment of oil no matter what country was buying it. President Bush has been playing up to the so-called friendly Arab nations to induce OPEC to retain the U.S. dollar as purchasing currency for oil. Mr. Bush has offered the Arabs our seaports, toll roads, airlines and airports, forest lands, and almost anything else he can sell them. It was all to be done in a very surreptitious and clandestine manner. On February 23rd, 2006, the Associated Press released the story of White House documents proving that the deal with the Arabs was under a secret agreement with the Bush Administration.